Rowan County, Kentucky Housing Market

In Rowan County, Kentucky, the median home value is $161,800, with a median monthly rent of $825. This places Rowan County at #1979 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #53 within Kentucky.

Median Home Value $161,800
Median Rent $825/mo
Owner Occupancy 61.5%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.3

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Rowan County rose +12.1% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

8,163
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $963
  • Establishments: 755
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

8
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 3
  • Multi-family: 5
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+547
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 7,995 (avg $56,662)
  • Outflow: 7,448 (avg $57,512)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Rowan County Compares

MetricRowan CountyKentucky AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $161,800 $160,835 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $825 $793 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 61.5% 73.4% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.3 16.6 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Rowan County is 0.6% above the Kentucky state average and 28.9% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $825/month is 4.0% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 16.3, the buy-vs-rent decision in Rowan County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Rowan County has an owner-occupancy rate of 61.5%, compared to 73.4% in Kentucky and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Washington County Maine $161,800 $783
Daviess County Missouri $161,800 $696
McNairy County Tennessee $161,800 $723
Grant County Arkansas $161,700 $788
LaSalle County Illinois $161,900 $928

Other Counties in Kentucky

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Mason County $161,500 $727 66.1%
Russell County $163,200 $681 70.8%
Edmonson County $160,300 $778 80.1%
Pendleton County $159,800 $793 74.7%
Laurel County $159,500 $813 71.6%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).